


Gun Story

by Aliena (ChokolatteJedi)



Category: Original Work
Genre: Early Work, Gen, Girls with Guns, Guns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-11-16
Updated: 2003-11-16
Packaged: 2017-10-26 21:35:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/288169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChokolatteJedi/pseuds/Aliena
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Candra thinks about her birthday present</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gun Story

**Author's Note:**

> Early work. I know that a lot of it wouldn't hold up if I did some actual research now. ;)

Thank you for coming to Western Fields, Miss Candra.” The instructor said as they shook hands, “I hope you had a nice time.”

Candra thanked him and hurried out to the parking lot, shivering in the January afternoon and finally finding her new Volkswagen bug among the myriad of cars. She tossed her purse and bag onto the passenger seat and hopped into the car. She sat, enjoying the warmth flowing from the heater and the rock music blaring out of the speakers when she turned the key. When the song ended, she flipped stations until she found one not playing commercials and drove out of the lot.

As she drove, Candra reviewed her performance that day. She had taken her handgun, a birthday present from her twin brother, to the shooting range for a course in proper gun safety and shooting. It had been reassuring to be taught by a former police officer and to see so many cops practicing at the range. It was also reassuring to know that she could hit the paper every time; if not always exactly where she aimed. The weekend after her twenty-second birthday, facing all the paperwork required to buy, own, learn to shoot, and carry a gun, Candra had almost decided that it wasn’t worth it, but Brandon had been there and helped her pick out the gun and fill out the endless forms. “Some present.” She had commented at one point, mock-glaring at Brandon over a pile of papers. Her brother had only smiled annoyingly and fluttered his hand at her to keep writing before continuing his conversation with the gun store’s owner about the best shooting range in the vicinity. Despite the feeling that if she saw another box to be checked, she would scream, Candra was pleased with her gift.

~*~*~

Candra could clearly remember the old-fashioned gun cabinet in her parents’ bedroom, with its strong oak frame and beautiful frosted glass. And it was strong glass, too. Not even her uncle’s home run hit through the bedroom window could break it. Candra could remember the day when she and Brandon, about seven years old, were shown their dad’s guns. He had sat them on the bed, with their cats Scorch and Juniper in their laps, and told them not to move or touch anything. Then he had taken out his key and opened the great oaken doors; finally revealing what lay behind those panes of frosted glass. Candra could still smell the musty aroma that burst through the doors when her father opened them.

A woodsy, iron-laden, outdoorsy kind of smell, like being out in the apple orchard on her grandparent’s farm, climbing the trees with Brandon and playing with her grandfather’s ancient black lab, Morgan. Morgan would sit at the base of the tree the children had climbed and wait for them to come back down to her. Brandon loved jumping into another tree and then coming down behind Morgan, much to the poor old dog’s confusion. Candra hated when he did that and would sometimes throw apples at him, though she almost always missed.

Candra thought of this when her father took out the guns. He had three; two old rifles that he said were family heirlooms, and a much smaller, much newer gun. He told them that the smaller one, a deep shiny blue-gray, was a handgun. “I bought this just before you two were born, so that if anyone ever tried to hurt our family, I could protect you and your mom.” Candra remembered that deep voice full of emotion as she stared at the gun.

“Are there really real bullets in there?” Brandon had asked.

“No, I don’t keep it loaded because you kids are in the house.” Her dad’s voice now became strict, “And you two are never to touch it, ever. Not even the cabinet. I bought this to protect you; I don’t want you getting hurt by it.” Candra knew that tone of voice. That was the voice you never disobeyed, even if you really, really wanted to do something. “Now promise me that neither of you will ever touch it.” Both children had promised fervently, determined to never disobey.

Then their father had shown them the two rifles, passed down from his great grandfather. He told them that there were three, but their grandfather had the other one. Candra could remember that gun; whenever they went to their grandparent’s farm, her grandma would sit them down at the kitchen table, next to the old fireplace built long before stoves were invented. High above the fireplace the gun sat on two pegs- so high even their grandpa and father had to reach up to get it and her grandma had to stand on tiptoe.

Then her father put the guns back in the cabinet and turned to Candra and Brandon, still sitting on the bed. “If you ever see this cabinet open, or if anyone tries to hurt you or come into the house, you tell your mother or me right away, alright?” Candra and Brandon promised again and then ran off to play.

~*~*~

Candra remembered waking up to gunshots and a baby’s wails one night, just before Christmas and her twelfth birthday. She looked up at Brandon and saw him sitting in the moonlight streaming through his bedroom windows. He slid off the bed, careful not to step on Candra or their cousin Alexa as the girls scrambled out of their sleeping bags on the floor. About to open the bedroom door, Candra froze when her uncle Leo poked his head in. “I guess I don’t need to wake you up,” He said, seeing the three standing together in their pajamas. “You can go see May and the baby if you want, but stay in one of these two bedrooms. Andrea’ll be in in a moment” He then closed the door and they heard his slippered feet moving away.

“C’mon” Brandon said as Candra flipped on the light, “let’s go see Mom and Aunt May and then maybe we’ll find out what happened.” He opened the door connecting his room to Candra’s and they were assailed by the crying of Alexa’s baby brother.

Their Aunt May was sitting on Candra’s bed in her robe, rocking a squealing Jeffery. “Oh children, there you are, are you all ok?” she asked, still comforting the baby.

“Yeah, we’re just fine.” Alexa said, sounding impatient with her mother’s worry, “But what happened here?”

Before Aunt May could answer, Chandra’s mother entered the room. Immediately Brandon asked to go help his father and uncle guard the intruder, but with one look their mother silenced him. She and May, who was still rocking a now quieted Jeffery, explained that someone had been using the apartment building’s fire escape and saw all the Christmas presents under the tree by the window. He had broken the window and climbed through it with a gun, hoping to take any expensive presents. The noise woke up Candra’s parents and her father had immediately gotten his handgun, just in case. The noise also woke up Jeffery, who started bawling.

The intruder then crept towards Candra’s room, where Leo and May were both trying to calm the baby. He opened the door, and pointed his gun at them, demanding their money. Aunt May screamed and Candra’s father, who had been watching with her mother, from their door, carefully aimed down the long hall and shot the intruder. When the man turned and came towards him, Chandra’s father shot him again. Leo, coming out of Chandra’s room, had moved the intruder’s gun away from him and was taking turns guarding the man with her father’s gun. While they guarded him, Candra’s mother had called 911 and she now said the police were on their way.

Within a few minutes, two police cars and an ambulance pulled to a noisy halt before their apartment building. The landlord, Mr. Parton, had come up to check on Candra’s family and now he ran downstairs to show the police and EMT to the apartment. Candra heard voices and then the bedroom door opened. A young policewoman entered with Uncle Leo and asked to speak to aunt May and Candra’s mother alone. Aunt May handed Jeffery to Alexa and the children were shooed back into Brandon’s room. Alexa plopped her brother on the bed and ran back to the door to listen. Brandon and Candra chose to listen at the main door.

“S’ok Capt’n, he’ll live,” Said a male voice, “The side and abs’ll need lookin’ at, an’ he’ll be hurtin’ for awhile, but he’ll make it.”

“Great, thanks Jake. That simplifies things,” replied another male, “Where’s he going?”

“Mercy General.” The new voice was female and hurried. There were rustles and squeaks before the door slammed. Candra ran to the window and saw two figures push a stretcher into the ambulance and drive away, red lights flashing.

“They’re gone,” Candra whispered to the others.

“That Captain guy is still talking to Dad,” Brandon hissed from the door, “Something about lucky to be alive, and great shooting, and glad we’re all safe. Now Dad’s asking about charges and damages.”

“Aunt Andrea just finished telling this cop what she did, now my Mom and Dad are talking to her,” Alexa added.

“Hey, they’re coming this way,” Brandon warned them, backing away from his door. All three children dashed to his bed and sat next to the baby as the door opened.

Candra’s father walked in, followed by a short stocky police officer. “Kids, are you all alright?” He went on when they nodded, “This is Captain Andrews. He is taking care of everything. The intruder is gone, on his way to the hospital. We can’t go out into the hall just yet, but let’s all go into Chandra’s room and talk. I want you to ask any questions you may have while Captain Andrews is here.” He picked up the sleeping Jeffery and followed the others into the bedroom.

~*~*~

Now, driving down the Colorado freeway, her gun on the seat next to her, Candra remembered that night. She remembered the same date, a year later, when she crept into Brandon’s room and found him also awake, both dreading a repeat of the previous year’s scare. Their mother found out and started them both in self defense classes at the beginning of the New Year. Chandra could barely remember the moves, though Brandon had earned a green belt. Her brother knew how much she hated that feeling of helplessness; that feeling of being a victim. Now, looking at his present, the gun next to her, Candra knew she would never feel like a victim again.


End file.
